2022 was the year I decided to do a Low Buy challenge. I tried my best to use up what I have in my skincare collection and purchase more intentionally. The purpose for this Low Buy Year was to declutter back-burner beauty products, have mental clarity and enjoy more with less.
Now that we are in the new year, it’s time to review my Low Buy 2022 challenge for skincare (and anything else in my life). I will share the total number of empties and purchases, the wins and fails and my overall experience.
Low Buy Recap
Low Buy Rules
- No More Freebies
- Remove Temptations
- Let It Marinate
- Empty Before Newbie
- No Makeup (unless something is emptied and there’s no replacement eg. mascara)
How I Would Hold Myself Accountable
Originally started as:
- Seasonal Empties + Check-In/Update
- Empties and Newbies (A.K.A. Empties and Hauls)
- Speak to Someone Before Purchasing (Husband or Friends)
Morphed into:
- Check-In/Update
- Seasonal Empties
- Hauls
- Speak to Someone Before Purchasing (Husband or Friends)
Low Buy 2022 Product Roundup
Total Empties: 57




Total Purchases: 27 (29 total – 2 for buying for someone else)




Low Buy 2022 Wins and Fails
Low Buy Wins
I did not accept any PR items.
Throughout 2022 I was emailed every so often about campaigns, items to review, etc. Frankly, none came around that I was very interested in, so it was easy to decline the offer.
23/27 Items Were Not Impulse Purchases.
77% of my purchases of 2022 were as intentional as possible. Whenever I was interested in something, I always gave myself at least a few days and spoke to my husband or friend about it. If I “let it marinate”, sometimes I completely forgot about what it was that I felt the urge to buy. If I spoke to someone, I always convinced myself to not buy something rather than who I was talking to. As for the 4/27 impulse purchases, the 23%, the 2 I have tried so far have been rotating in my skincare routine without issue. 2 Are also items I could have just purchased later on when I was close to emptying its previous version in my collection. Note, I completely forgot to officially feature a purchase in a haul, and that’s the Avene Very High Protection Cream SPF50+. I did include it in my total count.
I Decluttered a lot of makeup.
2022 was the year I found my go-to look that is suitable for all occasions. When I tried to do something new, I always ended up removing the makeup and sticking to my tried and true. The only makeup item I purchased in 2022 was in December, and it was a mascara.
Majority of empties were from my skincare collection and not purchases in 2022.
The only new item I emptied was my go-to moisturizer that both me and my husband use.
Shared my empties and hauls for the year.
I have posts for all of the empties and hauls I’ve done. Everything in and out of my skincare stash has been documented and made public! Check out all the empties and hauls of 2022 below:
- My First Skincare Haul of 2022!
- 2nd Skincare Haul of 2022: Niche Beauty Lab + Allies of Skin
- Third Skincare Haul of 2022: Korean Skincare
- Low Buy Update #1: 3 Month Check-In + Skincare Empties
- Spring 2022 Skincare Empties
- Summer 2022 Skincare Empties
- Fall 2022 Skincare Empties
- Skincare Haul #4
Shared seasonal updates on my Low Buy year.
I shared my thoughts throughout the year of 2022 on how I was feeling about the Low Buy Challenge. Check out my previous updates to get an idea of how the Low Buy challenge went throughout the year:
- Low Buy Update #1: 3 Month Check-In + Skincare Empties
- Low Buy Update #2: No-Buy, Maximalism, Colour Palette, Other Interests
- Low Buy Update #3: Rule Struggles, Hauling Habits, Less Makeup
Low Buy Fails
I still purchased more skincare than I should have.
My non-impulse purchases were under 80% (queue in upbringing to get As all the time). Comparing hauls to empties, my purchases make up around 47% of products replaced in my skincare collection. When I first did the math on empties and purchases, I had 42%. Revising and revising, it went to 43%, 45%, and now it’s 47%. It’s as if I went two steps forward, one step back. My silver lining to this fail is that it’s at least under 50% and nowhere near 100% of my empties being replaced.
I used more of what I bought in 2022 in my skincare routine than what was in my skincare collection.
As soon as I received the new and exciting product, I immediately became bored of whatever I was trying to use up and cast it aside. When I tried to rotate an older product in my skincare collection, it was short-lived. I also catch myself being wary of using up certain skincare because I find it may be difficult to buy in the future. I need to not take skincare so seriously in this regard and know that none of this is ever a need. Considering the skincare market nowadays, there’s always another product just as similar that will be available.
Not all temptations were removed.
I started following Instagram accounts again and participating in giveaways. One instance, I actually ended up winning an item which I featured in my 2nd Haul of 2022. I also can’t commit to un-following some Youtubers, whom I admit feed my desire to try something new. On Instagram, I once again unfollowed some accounts and did reduce my skincare content intake in general. I recently read Dr. Natalia Spiering’s book, Skintelligent, which talks about Big Skincare and served as a good reminder of what it really takes to have good skin.
Completely failed the “Empty before Newbie” rule.
I found it difficult to finish one item before opening another. I always get excited trying something new, and I always want to compare the newer item with the older item. Sometimes I also like having variety of a similar products, such as sunscreen. I found this to be the most difficult rule to follow, especially as someone who creates skincare content. Content where sharing similarities, differences and nuances between products are appreciated in reviews.
Takeaways of a Low Buy Year
Controls knee-jerk spending.
My rules helped me think twice about what I’m buying; Whether or not I truly needed it or if it was just a for fun purchase.
Realize one’s spending habits.
Every Haul I made in 2022, the products were opened and used right away. The downside to this is that I left products I already had opened on the back-burner. This goes against my goal for a low buy.
Helps to remove F.O.M.O.O.S. – Fear Of Missing Out On Skincare.
Removing temptations, I was not spending so much time paying attention to what’s trendy online. I just focused on my skin and its needs. In my second Low Buy Update, I even touched upon how my interests expanded beyond skincare. I learned about F.O.M.O.O.S. from Dr. Natalia Spierings’ Instagram post. The only time I truly felt the desire to spend and try something new was when I was watching skincare videos on Youtube again.
Makes you enjoy what you already have.
I fixated a lot more on what I already had than what I didn’t, hence why I was able to empty out so much skincare from my collection. My skincare collection actually no longer takes up storage space, all fit in my bathroom cabinet and drawers! I understand what I like and dislike in my skincare routine. I have also come to enjoy a more minimal skincare routine of cleansing, moisturizing, and SPF.
My Overall Experience of a Low Buy
2022 as a Low Buy year was overall a good exercise. It helped me to bring to the front of my mind what has been bothering me for years and finally act on it. In return, I learned a lot about myself – products I like to use, my spending habits and what’s more important to me than having a large collection of skincare. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy using my actives, but it is quite the mental shift from where I started. From maximalist, must try all the actives, hot new ingredients, sunscreens – to appreciating less, and wanting even less. Having all the noise removed and sticking to what’s been working for me.
Near the end of 2022, I was clearly a mixed bag of emotions. I became very tired from forcing myself to use products while risking the health of my skin. However, my biggest skincare haul was at the end of the year, around the same time I was a month into my slow skincare routine. While I hauled more than I thought I would in 2022, this was only my first year trying a Low Buy with skincare and I will not let the fails bring me down. They serve as insights that I will be sure to remember in 2023.
Closing Thoughts on My First Low Buy Year
As mentioned, I’ve been really enjoying using less skincare. So much so, my baseline skincare routine of 5 years has changed. My outlook on skincare has also changed – or rather solidified since doing a Low Buy year. I’ve been thinking a certain way for a while about this stuff – since my “skincare plateau” in 2021. Near the end of 2022, it finally made more sense to me why I was feeling this way. I said this before, but now with this big mental shift when it comes to skincare, I feel more desperate than ever to finish up my back-burner skincare.
If you’re interested in a Low Buy year, be sure to check out the rules I created for myself and the ways I would hold myself accountable in my 2022 post:
My Low Buy Rules for 2022 | Journey to Minimalism
As always, I hope you find content like this helpful and informative. Let me know in the comments down below if you decide to do a Low Buy Year for 2023! I’ll be sharing my Low Buy 2023 plan hopefully by the end of the month or in March.
xo, M